How Seller Strategies Are Affected

Amazon just made pricing strategy harder to ignore. Rufus now lets customers set price alerts directly in the Amazon app. In two clicks, shoppers can: Set alerts for 5%, 10%, or 15% price drops, or the lowest price in the last 30 days or define their ideal price and wait for Rufus to notify them. Manage active and inactive alerts, so they know what’s relevant and what they’ve already purchased. At first, this looks like a customer-facing convenience feature. But it’s actually a shift in how buyers make decisions, and it will impact every seller’s pricing strategy. This removes friction from price-based decision-making. Before, customers had to use tools like CamelCamelCamel or check back manually. Now Rufus remembers for them, and that changes how discounts, deal cadence, and pricing strategies drive conversions. The psychology of purchasing is changing: 1. Power shifts to the buyer: Before, sellers controlled urgency by deciding when to launch offers or “lightning deals.” Now Rufus remembers prices and notifies shoppers, allowing them to compare discounts instantly and effortlessly. Urgency is no longer defined by the seller, it’s defined by the buyer. 2. Artificial FOMO disappears: “Deal ends soon” used to drive conversions. But now that Rufus shows price alerts, shoppers can wait calmly, knowing exactly when a better deal comes. This means sellers will need to offer real, customer-oriented discounts. 3. Margins face more pressure: With Rufus surfacing discounts instantly, customers no longer need to check manually. In some categories, this could trigger a race to the bottom, unless sellers differentiate through branding, value, and experience. 4. Pricing data becomes a performance metric: Just like CTR or CVR today, tomorrow we’ll be talking about Price Responsiveness Rate, how effectively your pricing strategy reacts to Rufus alerts and customer signals. This is the beginning of what I’d call agentic commerce. AI shopping agents like Rufus are starting to track, remember, and act for customers. That means Rufus optimization is starting add things like: • How and when you discount→ not just the timing of deals, but whether your discounting cadence builds trust and predictability with customers. • How consistent your pricing looks → That way, customers may be more willing to set alerts for when that price change occurs. • How aligned your discounts are with customer signals→ e.g. timing offers around seasonal demand, product lifecycle, or review-driven insights, instead of blanket promotions. Sellers who don’t adapt will find their promotions buried under better-structured, data-driven pricing strategies. The future of pricing strategy? It’s basically Rufus saying: Try harder. #Amazon #Rufus #PricingStrategy #Ecommerce

Selling Through Economic Uncertainty More companies are hitting the pause button on critical technology investments. Rising interest rates, inflation concerns, and market unpredictability are creating decision paralysis for buyers. This presents a unique challenge for sales teams. Sales cycles are extending, more stakeholders are being pulled into decisions, and budget freezes are likely going to become the default position in the coming months. Here's what's working for my team right now: 1. Immediate ROI focus - We're showing prospects exactly how our solution pays for itself within 6-12 months through revenue generation, cost savings or efficiency gains. 2. Flexible options - Offering scaled implementations where clients can start small and grow as conditions improve or contract terms that make it easier to say "yes". 3. Risk mitigation emphasis - Positioning technology as protection against economic volatility rather than just innovation. 4. Deeper technical validation - Multiple proof-of-value methods that specifically align your customer's strategic objectives to your product's capabilities (don't ask your customer to imagine how your product works). 5. Executive engagement - Connect with executives early in the sales process and ensure your product value is tied to critical company initiatives. The most successful salespeople I know don't push harder against resistance - they adapt to customers' changing priorities and demonstrate how technology remains essential even in uncertain times. What strategies are you finding effective in the current selling environment?

Every sales leader I talk to at the moment is struggling with some version of the same issue. The symptoms are different, but the underlying cause is the same. - Sales cycles elongating - Deal slippage - Prospects not showing up to meetings - An uptick in ghosting - Poor forecast accuracy - A drop in deal volumes - A drop in conversion rates What's actually happening out there in Buyer land? I've been delivering win-loss reviews for B2B companies around the world since 2011 and I'm seeing buyer behaviours I've never observed before... Let me break down some of them quickly for you and share some guidance on how to use these lessons to your advantage: Trend #1: Risk has jumped up the decision tree in order of importance, to the very top of the list for many clients, even more so when it's a new vendor. Action: Go deeper on risk in your discovery conversations, recognise that risk is both organisational and personal...find ways to better manage, mitigate and share risk with your clients...Be the low risk option. Trend #2: Value for Money, Responsiveness and Cost are consistently selected as the most important decision criteria by many clients. Action: Responsiveness should be an easy one to get right, but many sellers are stretched too thin right now...do less, but do it better. Trend #3: Change in Strategic Direction is the most frequently cited reason for customers coming to market for a new solution at the moment. Action: Try to reverse engineer this reason, to understanding what caused this change in direction and what it actually means for the business. These are your keys to the kingdom, when building a rock solid business case. Trend #4: Feedback from Peers and Colleagues has emerged as the most trusted information source for almost all respondents. Action: Case studies and customer references are losing their luster...find ways to tap into the trust which prospective clients have in their own peer network, as a way to unlock deeper connections and build trust. Trend #5: Customers are demanding more detail in the proposal documents, tender responses and business cases which they are receiving. Action: Put in the work, avoid the cookie-cutter responses, find your win themes and weave them in, share the detail they need to make an informed decision. I haven't got a crystal ball, so I can't tell you if/when the pendulum will swing back the other way, from a buyer behaviour perspective. What I can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that prospective customers have raised the bar, in terms of their expectations from their vendor partners. It's our job now to to elevate the preparation, patience and professionalism of B2B sellers everywhere, to meet these changing needs and maintain our relevance to the customers we serve.

I'm thinking a lot about this new reality: Sellers don't close deals anymore. Buyers do. Think about it. How many times have you heard champions say 'yes', and yet... deal failed? That salesman with the suitcase who knew it all and closed that mythical sole decision-maker f2f is long gone. The power dynamics have shifted -> to a 'buyer-led' era. 1. Only 5% of the buyer's journey is spent with sellers 2. 45% of buyers' time is spent doing self-research 3. 43% of buyers prefer not to speak with sellers 4. Deals involve large decision committees, not 1 DM Top sellers get this. They’re damn good at supporting the buying journey to help buyers navigate it successfully. They stay relevant. ——— We’ve been researching and believe sales is evolving: 1. Enterprise sales techniques that support buying groups will become mainstream to all sellers. Sellers have less face time with buyers, are facing more stakeholders, and dealing with more complexity. That means all sellers need to master skills like: multi-threading (posted about this last week), and working with champions. All sellers will have to become very good at reducing friction and adding value, or they risk becoming irrelevant. 2. Buyer Enablement is turning into a role and a company-wide strategy We’re already seeing these titles today. Sales Enablement teams will stay focused on helping sellers become more effective. Buyer Enablement teams will focus on making the sales process, content, tools, and techniques more effective for buyers. The missing piece for optimal sales effectiveness. 3. The customer journey will be streamlined by sellers, marketing, and product teams. Buying happens more outside of vendors’ control. Vendors will build digital journeys that add value while sellers are "not in the room". New buying tools facilitated by sellers: Demo experience tools are an example. Digital sales rooms are another example. Gartner predicts this is where 1/3 of sales processes will take place in 2026. ——— Look around. I'm sure you'll see that every seller that is winning right now gets this. #BuyerEnablement #B2BSales #SalesStrategy

Today, I held a closed-door meeting with several Chinese Amazon sellers whose annual GMV ranges from $20 million to $100 million to discuss tariff issues. Surprisingly, the mood was not as tense as I expected. Despite facing tariffs as high as 104%, here are my key takeaways: Pricing Power Advantage: Chinese sellers still have an advantage in the competitive landscape of the U.S. retail market, and they can implement strategies that are much broader than those available to U.S. sellers. Tariff Impact Assessment: Compared to 2021, when shipping a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. cost $20,000, a 104% tariff isn’t necessarily worse. For instance, the declared value of goods in a typical container from China to the U.S. usually ranges from $5,000 to $10,000. Given this, a 104% tariff would amount to $5,200 to $10,400, which is still lower than the shipping costs that sellers faced back then. Therefore, while the tariff is significant, it does not surpass the overall costs experienced in previous years. Moreover, Chinese sellers have already undergone stress testing through these challenges, making them more resilient in adapting to the current environment. Operational Principles: In the current situation, there is a consensus that we should prioritize cash flow over profit margins and scale. Negotiating with factories and customers is challenging, and based on specific product circumstances, it may be necessary to delay shipments. Additionally, we should monitor retail price dynamics, whether U.S. supermarkets will raise prices, and if early consumption behaviors due to competitive tensions will suppress market demand. It’s advisable to carefully assess inventory levels and shipping rhythms based on supply and demand conditions in each category. Branding Trend: Rising costs are driving Chinese sellers to further pursue branding, and they may challenge some U.S. local brands using more aggressive cost strategies. In terms of branding and capital capabilities, some large Chinese sellers are not at a disadvantage; they have thrived on trade in the past and may not have felt the necessity to focus on branding. Multi-Channel Strategy: Existing Amazon sellers should consider diversifying their channels. With flexible supply chains, they can outperform some large retailers' e-commerce operations and actively expand into more third-party retail platforms. As a key component of China's exports, if cross-border e-commerce sellers are not panicking, then I believe it's others who should be worried. #Tariffs #Ecommerce #AmazonSellers #SupplyChain #ChinaTrade #RetailMarket #BusinessStrategy #CostManagement #Branding #Resilience #GlobalTrade #MarketTrends

Marketplace Briefing: Tariff Turmoil Reshaping eCommerce — What Amazon Sellers Must Know The April 2025 tariff hikes are already disrupting global eCommerce. Brands importing from China are facing steep new costs and operational challenges that will impact everything from pricing to fulfillment strategies. Key Data Points: ▪ 125% tariff now applies to all Chinese imports ▪ De minimis shipments (under $800) now face 90% tariffs and increased per-shipment fees ($25 → $150 by June 1) ▪ 83% of eCommerce executives surveyed fear these tariffs threaten company survival ▪ 64% plan to pass at least 25% of tariff costs directly to consumers ▪ 56% are shifting to domestic or alternative country sourcing ▪ 53% expect tariffs to persist for more than 3 years How Brands Are Preparing: 🔹Sourcing Diversification: Majority shifting away from China to countries like Vietnam, Mexico, Cambodia, and South Korea. 🔹Pricing Adjustments: Increasing prices to offset tariff-driven costs. 🔹Stockpiling Inventory: Building up product supply ahead of additional hikes. 🔹Bundling Services: Adding value and raising order size to protect margins. 🔹Seeking Partners: 88% of brands are engaging consultants and tech platforms to help navigate cross-border logistics and compliance. What Amazon Sellers Need to Know: ▪ China-reliant categories will feel this first. Apparel, fast fashion, toys, and accessories are particularly vulnerable, as many rely heavily on Chinese production. ▪ Expect price increases and tighter margins. Many sellers will face tough decisions: raise prices or absorb higher costs. Both can negatively impact conversion rates and competitiveness on Amazon. ▪ Proactive communication is critical. Brands need to prepare messaging for customers around potential price increases and shipping delays, especially in Q3 and Q4. ▪ Consider alternative sourcing strategies now. If products are still China-reliant, it’s time to start contingency planning to avoid being caught in extended tariff wars. ▪ Monitor FBA inbound fees and costs closely. Amazon’s own costs may rise as tariffs impact import rates, which could lead to increased FBA and fulfillment fees later this year. Categories Most At Risk: 🔹Fashion (especially fast fashion and accessories) 🔹Electronics and lower-ticket tech 🔹Toys and seasonal novelty products 🔹Home goods sourced primarily from China Bottom Line: Tariffs are not a short-term shock — they’re shaping up to be a multiyear challenge. Brands that diversify supply chains, price strategically, and prepare operationally will be best positioned to protect profitability and market share in the face of escalating costs.

Amazon's AI systems are evolving how product listings get approved and ranked. The intersection of AI-generated content and AI detection tools is creating new challenges for sellers across multiple categories. We've observed increasing reports of listing suppressions and policy flags affecting both automated and human-written content in recent months. Smart sellers are adapting their strategy: 1. Review your bullet points for patterns that might trigger content flags 2. Focus on specific product benefits rather than generic marketing language 3. Maintain documentation of your content creation process for potential appeals 4. Test content changes on lower-volume listings before updating bestsellers Some sellers have faced significant revenue impacts when their listings were unexpectedly flagged. Others implementing rigorous content compliance frameworks have maintained visibility throughout algorithm updates. The marketplace is shifting from quantity to quality in content creation, with a growing premium on authentic, substantiated product descriptions. What safeguards have you implemented to protect your catalog from sudden visibility changes?

Amazon Rufus is changing how sellers need to think about marketplace optimization. This is no longer just about ranking for keywords. Rufus can now help customers: • Compare similar products • Check 30, 90, and 365-day price history • Find personalized deals • Set price alerts • Auto-buy when a product hits a target price • Build custom shopping guides • Reorder products • Shop across Amazon and other merchants For sellers, this creates a major shift. Your product detail page now needs to be easy for both the customer and Amazon’s AI to understand. That means stronger: • Titles • Bullet points • Product attributes • A+ content • Images • Q&A • Review management • Pricing discipline The biggest change, in my opinion, is price transparency. If customers can ask Rufus whether an item has been cheaper recently, random discounting becomes riskier. Sellers may unintentionally train customers to wait for the next sale. The sellers who win will be the ones who treat Rufus as part of the customer journey. Not just an AI feature. A new layer of product discovery, comparison, pricing validation, and conversion. Amazon search is becoming more conversational. Seller strategy needs to evolve with it. #Amazon #AmazonSeller #Ecommerce #MarketplaceStrategy #RetailMedia #ArtificialIntelligence #AmazonAds #PricingStrategy

Amazon sellers are going to be the most affected business due to these tariff uncertainties. But how much will be the effect? I analyzed around 1.5 million Amazon sellers and using Python ran calculations on their average price, tariff additions and total volume of sales. As per my calculations most goods will cost around 9.9% more next month. Almost all the online sellers will choose one of the following A) Stop any purchases until there is clarity B) Pass on the tariff costs immediately to the customer C) Pass on the tariff costs gradually. Few rare sellers did want to move manufacturing back to the US but their raw materials would still be shipped from China. I analyzed the entire market segment and made an interactive blog post here: https://lnkd.in/ga4x6U-R All the tariffs saga are a symptom of underlying malaise in global economic order. Those who are prepared with AI & automation will be the most successful.